A Confused Mind Always Says “No”

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

I don’t know who said it first, but as of late, this expression has become more or less a guiding mantra for my sales and marketing advice. That’s because in just six words, it helps you spot what’s wrong with your website, your salespeople, your brochures, your on-hold message, your follow-up messages, and your elevator pitch. Even your Google ad campaigns!

Let me show you how these six words can help you.

First, take a look at your website. Remember that a prospect goes to your website for one reason only – to find answers to the challenge or question(s) in their head. If your website somehow empathetically acknowledges their questions and challenges, and then clearly and easily shows how you solve them, then you’ve got a real good chance of winning them over.

On the other hand, if your website is cluttered or awkward, or loaded with “fluff platitudes” rather than real answers, you’re more likely to cause confusion and frustration, which motivates your visitor to leave your website and find someone else to solve their challenge.

In fact, your website might be relatively clean and honest, but old and out of style. This too can cause confusion, because your visitor is probably looking for a modern company who has their act together. But an old website contradicts that image. So again, the visitor is confused, and compelled to go search elsewhere for answers. That’s certainly not what we want!

If the visitor is confused, they will go elsewhere for answers.

The same is true for any other marketing materials or sales tools you use. The best example of this is probably your brand-story/“elevator pitch.” Because the whole point of your elevator pitch is to clearly and succinctly explain – in less than 30 seconds – why someone is better off doing business with you. State your case clearly, and you’ll win more business. Speak fluff and platitudes, and many of those prospects will slip through your fingers. (You will see it in your closing ratios.)

Let me give you my own personal example:

“I own a marketing consulting agency that works EXCLUSIVELY in the swimming pool industry. That’s our specialty; that’s all we do.”

That’s just 42 words. Does it leave you confused? Or are you pretty clear about what we do?

What if I added this?

“We do basically anything and everything that will help you sell more pools.”

I’m guessing that’s been reasonably clear, because we’ve been very successful over the last decade or so since we started working exclusively in the pool industry. No confusion. It’s crystal clear what we do.

Now let’s get back to you, and how these six words can help you sell more pools.

These six words will make or break a sales call.

Is one of your designers/salespeople struggling? Closing ratios aren’t quite where they should be, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? Try observing their next sales call, with these six words in mind.

Does your designer “click” with the homeowner?

Do they share the same vision?

Is the future of this backyard crystal clear in the minds of both the designer and the homeowner?

Does the proposal make perfect sense?

If you see confusion in the face of the prospects, then you already know you’re going to lose the sale.

How can you leverage this advice?

I would encourage you to look at all your sales and marketing efforts, especially your website, your brand-story/elevator pitch, and your sales meetings, and ask yourself whether they leave any room for confusion.Be sure to think of it from the homeowners perspective – someone who has probably never bought a pool before, and really doesn’t have much of a clue what they’re doing. (And may be too embarrassed to ask.)